The Scientific Synergy Core (Core A) is the intellectual fulcrum of this research core center. It represents a low-cost high impact core which will dramatically strengthen auditory and vestibular sciences at the University of Michigan and in the research community in the Michigan - Ohio region. Specifically, the core will promote scientific information exchange and scholarly discussions through regular contacts, further technology transfer to enhance research, aid principal investigators in the training of students, fellows and staff, and encourage new and increased collaboration through the formation of special interest groups. Within the P30 research cores the regular contacts between the principal investigators and key personnel of the cores will remain the customary avenue of communication. Going beyond these interactions, however, all students, fellows, and laboratory staff are included in the meetings of the interest groups of Core A and the three annual meetings that we are proposing. Despite its ambitions of creating a multi-institutional synergy core, Core A does not add significantly to the P30 budget because of the proximity of all participating laboratories, which eliminates the necessity for any overnight stays and associated costs for meetings, discussions, or service training. While the rules of the P30 restricts its use to programs with appropriate grant support, we feel that the intellectual environment created by Core A must not be limited to those with currently funded grants. Core A will serve the spirit of the P30 and the mission of the NIDCD by including young investigators trying to establish themselves and research groups between funding. In fact, we argue that the inclusion of these scientists may become one of the most important aspects of this core in strengthening and promoting NIDCD-mission research. The intellectual interactions will build mentoring relationships, encourage collaborations, and through discussion, enhance the quality of of our research, our grant applications and our publications. These aims will aid the growth of young groups and make established ones more competitive in their attempts to obtain grant funding.